Drilling Automation: Technologies, Terminology, and Parallels With Other Industries

TLDR

Drilling automation is a rapidly evolving technology attracting growing interest, with industry bodies like SPE and IADC establishing dedicated sections and committees, while diverse terminology and multiple organizations necessitate consistent interface criteria for safe, efficient operations. This paper aims to describe and classify existing and emerging drilling automation concepts, identify critical interface requirements, highlight safety concerns, and draw analogies with other industries to guide future development. The study identifies the most significant interface requirements, emphasizes key safety concerns, and demonstrates how parallels with other sectors can inform further advancements.

Abstract

Summary Drilling automation is a rapidly developing area of technology that is seeing growing interest within the drilling community. SPE set up a new technical section devoted to the subject as it relates to downhole performance, and the IADC has created a committee with a focus on surface processes. As with any emerging technology, the associated jargon is evolving rapidly, and different terms are used by different groups to refer to similar concepts with the potential for confusion and misunderstanding. Automation efforts are being undertaken by numerous and diverse organizations, and implementation of such interrelated offerings at the rigsite needs consistent interface criteria at each boundary to ensure efficient and safe operations. The purpose of the proposed paper is to describe some of the concepts already in operation and under development and to classify them into a number of key categories. The more significant interface requirements will be identified, and key safety concerns will be highlighted. Parallels will be drawn with other industries to demonstrate analogs and suggest where and how further developments might be expected to lead.